10 Hilarious Movies That Prove 'Spoof' Isn't A Dirty Word

When did "spoof" become such a dirty word? There once was a time when filmmakers like Mel Brooks (Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein) and brilliant comedians like the late Leslie Nielsen (Airplane!, The Naked Gun) mastered the art of parody. No film genre was safe. Nowadays, however, movies like Michael Tiddes’ A Haunted House 2 arrive in theaters with a thundering eye roll. When did things go so wrong?

Open Road Films didn’t screen Marlon Wayans’ comedy sequel for critics. (I know, right?) That gave us an excuse to go back and celebrate the finest entries in the spoof genres… movies that packed in the laughs and took advantage of the creative leeway that comes with assuming a familiar genre. Surely you love these 10 vintage spoof movies.

We apologize for calling you Shirley.

And, of course, we want to hear from you! Tell us your favorite spoof movies in the comments section after the feature. Now, on with the list!

Team America: World Police

What it's spoofing: The Bruckheimer/Simpson stable of steroid-soaked action films, particularly those that reek of blatant, jingoistic patriotism.

Why it's great: I feel like I need a montage to tell you all of the reasons why Team America should be celebrated as one of the 10 best spoofs of all time. Co-directors Trey Parker and Matt Stone bring all of the razor-sharp wit they normally cram into a half-hour episode of South Park, satirizing the easy target that is the action-hero genre. But the one difference that elevates Team America is the fact that Parker and Stone pull the whole gag off with puppets. Puppets! The duo have said repeatedly that they regret the decision, because of all the extra work it entailed. But the fact that hollow dummies recite the lines usually penned for similarly hollow Hollywood dummies just makes World Police that much funnier. Plus, that Matt Damon jab still kills to this day.